JEDPL Reviews: Fooly Cooly
I've seen it all, folks; from romantic comedies to super robot to space western to adventure-themed ones, anime really has made an impact on me. I admired anime since the early Toonami days when they showed Dragon Ball Z, Rurouni Kenshin, Tenchi Muyo!, and also even Sailor Moon. Once Adult Swim started airing shows like Trigun and InuYasha, I just fell in love... but the very FIRST anime that truly got me into the anime industry was something so energetic, so incomprehensible, so timely I can't express it in words. It was the summer of 2003 and I was watching Adult Swim. I saw an anime that was vibrant, downright insane, and epic. It might have been vague and brief, but dear f***ing God, was it awesome! Ladies and gentleman, I am Ouroburos, your Extreme Conquerer, and on this colossal Friday... without further adieu, this is Fooly Cooly!!! Fooly Cooly... What to say about it? It's definitely a big mindrape in terms of coherency. There really isn't much to it aside from that... Hold on! "I'm forgetting something," eh!? Of riiiiiiight...... FLCL KICKS ASS, HEALS IT, THEN KICKS MORE ASS!!!!!!! This anime, in my opinion to say the least, is the epitome of all anime in general. It is THAT excellent. Your typical anime fan might say something along the lines of "Meh, it was alright, but it was barely understandable," or just the blatantly obvious "I like it".... "I don't like it." And that's their opinions, and if you think the same or different, then by all means, that's fine. More power to you, my otaku brethren. But I digress. Let's just right into one helluva show, folks... FLCL was directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (who would later direct the likes of Diebuster/Gunbuster 2 and be a part of the Rebuild of Evangelion film tetralogy), written by Yoji Enokido, and is also a collaboration project (kinda sorta-ish) between the studios Gainax and Production I.G. In Japan, this six-episode OVA first launched around the year 2000 and lasted for a year or so. Now-defunct (for the time being?) company Synch-Point licensed the franchise for North American audiences back then, but ever since 2010, FUNimation Entertainment rescued the OVA and has left its original English dub intact. The plot, despite having said to be a complete screws-in-the-brain, actually has a fair bit of consciousness sporadically speaking. It revolves a 12-year-old boy named Naota Nandaba (look at that! Alliteration already coming into play!), a cynical kid who usually is all about maturity and growing up. The setting, which is a fictional city called Mabase, is apparently short of competent and ordinary adults (with fewer exceptions); almost about every grownup in Mabase is either dramatic or overall wacky; Naota is the guy every viewer can relate to, obviously enough, despite his young age. For like three minutes before the climax of the first episode, you'll refuse to believe this is actually badass...... Until! A spunky, eccentric pink-haired woman known as Haruko Haruhara (More alliteration, oh, for the love of Sonic CD!!!) arrives onto the scene with her yellow Vespa, and this is where all the shit eats the fan... in a great way! Throughout the duration of each episode, you are going to open your mouth and widen your eyes shouting "WTF am I watchin' here!?" in the same manner as a prepubescent girl. Lemme tell ya something: it feels exciting. When I first witnessed FLCL, I knew this was the type of anime for me: it isn't the kind to drag on forever, it reminds you of Ren & Stimpy getting it on with Excel Saga and creating a newborn, and you're laughing, crying, and applauding loudly as it all goes on! I gotta get one thing off my chest: Fooly Cooly is the first show since Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to have my adrenaline rushing all over the place. I'm not afraid to admit that! There is no way in Hell I am ever going to regret any of my personal statements about this anime. I dare call it, "More grander than Cowboy Bebop!" First off, the characters (everyone of them) have these distinct personalities that make them incredibly nigh-likeable! Naota's, of course, your sane man of the cast, Mamimi (she's 17, smokes frequently, and has an odd fascination with the lead character... at first) having the habit of calling every pet she finds "Ta-kun" and being some sort of runaway immediately makes her enjoyable, and Haruko... SHE STEALS THE GODDAMN SPOTLIGHT!!!!!! With her craziness and severe case of badassery, how do you not like her!? One day I'd love to see a Fatal 4 Way between her, Jotaro Kujo, Kenshiro, and Haruhi Suzumiya... just for my entertainment. Amarao (those friggin' eyebrows of his, man...) is also pretty interesting. Take my word for it: watch a vast majority of the penultimate episode, Brittle Bullet (AAAAH!!!!! More alliteration!! Why do you haunt me?!?!). The animation is loose and about as expressive as Road Runner on heroin; it's a sight for sore eyes everywhere. Looking at the character designs only make it better, and props to Yoshiyuki Sadamoto! You just continue to draw stellar art! Not once did I ever criticize a single thing... Why? I wasn't paying attention and only wanted more thrilling events to occur. Sound-wise, whoa! Instead of having a composer, Fooly Cooly has actual background music performed by The Pillows; Different for me, but probably not for anybody else in particular. Most of the songs you will hear range from amazing to utter classic, and if anyone brings up FLCL's music, it's the ending theme that they'll fondly remember, "Ride On Shooting Star". The voice acting for both the English and original Japanese versions scream, "SUPERLATIVE!!", and it shows depending on which track you prefer. I will forever hear Haruko when Kari Wahlgren is in an English cast for an anime (*cough* *cough* Durarara and Lucky Star!)... Final verdict Just scroll down to the "Pros" and "Cons" section, everyone... For an anime like Fooly Cooly, nothing else can be explained. See ya guys later! Pros *Short, but sweet and crazy-as-all-Hell. *The distinguishable characters make for zero boredom; in particular, Haruko. *Pretty exceptional animation that's expressive and also vibrant; as I've said in my review, the visual style makes it seem more like a blast! *Brilliant voice acting, with a spirited script to boot. *Music performed by The Pillows... Tell me that. Is. Not. Epic. Cons *Can somewhat be a little too deranged for its own good. *The ending of the last episode, which may or may not be a "cliffhanger"... Well... Naota IS left with Haruko's guitar. Category:Review